Thomas Keller, the world-renowned chef behind the three-Michelin-starred French Laundry, is leading a high-profile campaign against a planned affordable housing project in the wealthy Napa Valley enclave of Yountville.
The celebrity chef joined local business owners to challenge “Yountville Commons,” a 120-unit apartment complex intended for workers, arguing that the development is a poor fit for the community and that officials failed to consult the town’s major employers. The confrontation took place during a recent town council meeting, where the chef — dressed in his white culinary jacket — criticized officials for a lack of transparency.
“No one ever came to me and said, ‘What do you think about this project?’” Keller, 70, told the five council members, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. “I really would expect and encourage you to talk with the business community here, which seems to not have happened.”
The project aims to address a chronic housing shortage in Yountville, an enclave of 3,400 people where the median home value has climbed to $1.3 million.
According to town data, approximately 3,100 workers commute into the area daily, many earning a median salary of $51,000. Typical home values have soared almost 40 percent since 2017, pricing out the very people who staff the town’s famous boutiques, art galleries and spas.
The central point of contention involves the inclusion of 300-square-foot studio apartments. While town manager Brad Raulston defended the units as affordable options at roughly $1,500 a month, critics have described them as inadequate.
Gary Jabara, a real-estate investor and major local employer, told The Wall Street Journal: “The unit mix is obviously wrong. Nobody wants to live in a cage.”
However, supporters of the development suggest the opposition is rooted in elitism.
Councilwoman Robin McKee suggested that the backlash was amplified by Keller’s celebrity status, stating there is a “fear of riffraff” regarding the potential arrival of vineyard workers in the town center.
Ryan O’Connell, a local member of Yimby Action, told The Wall Street Journal that the language used by critics suggested a desire to keep certain people out of the area. Referring to a letter signed by Keller regarding “community harmony,” O’Connell used an Instagram post to address the chef directly.
“He’s a great chef,” O’Connell says to the camera in the post. “We’re very grateful for how many people he employs in this town. Maybe let them build this affordable housing. Maybe don’t get in the way of it.”
The Independent has reached out to French Laundry for comment.
The tension comes as Keller’s business group faces legal scrutiny regarding its treatment of staff. As first reported by The Press Democrat, a former dishwasher at The French Laundry has filed a lawsuit in Napa Superior Court alleging multiple violations of the California Labor Code.
The complaint, brought by Elena Flores Beteta on behalf of herself and more than 50 “similarly situated” employees, alleges that the restaurant failed to pay for all hours worked, including overtime, and failed to provide proper rest breaks or facilities. The filing claims that staff were required to work off the clock and were not paid final wages upon separation. These violations, the complaint alleges, occurred pursuant to uniform policies implemented across the workforce.
In a statement to The Press Democrat, the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group denied the allegations, describing them as “without merit.”
“We value our employees and maintain a respectful, professional, and inclusive workplace,” the statement said. “We are committed to complying with all applicable employment laws and regulations, and we maintain policies and practices designed to promote fairness and compliance across our organization.”
While Keller has invested in 15 units of employee housing since 2006, he and other business owners have successfully gathered enough signatures for a referendum. This move, which effectively pauses the Yountville Commons project, will allow local voters to decide in November whether to repeal the zoning changes required for the development.
Even among local workers, opinions remain divided.
Jose Zamora, a 20-year-old grocery worker, told The Wall Street Journal that a studio would spare him a 50-mile daily commute. Conversely, others, like cashier Luisa Di Benedetto, argued the units are too small for couples, even as she noted that friends continue to leave the area for cheaper locations.
Keller has indicated he would support a revised version of the project, provided it incorporates more input from the businesses whose workers the housing is intended to serve.
“So please,” he told the council, “let’s get it right.”
